Mentoring from ICMS Intern to Tourism Australia job

ICMS as The Professional Mentor has supported International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) Bachelor of Event Management student Jasmine Saba in her journey from intern to #alreadyhired fulltime as event co-ordinator at Tourism Australia.

Jasmine hasn’t even graduated yet; she’ll graduate in November 2022 with not only a GPA of 4.5, but the security of a fulltime job in her industry of choice.

“My highlights at ICMS have been my grades, the relationships, connections, networking and placement opportunities as well as lecturers and the staff. Especially Valerie McMorran and Douglas Garske who I would like to personally thank for helping mentor me throughout my journey at ICMS,” Jasmine said.

Jasmine secured her role as an intern at Tourism Australia as part of her Bachelor of Event Management degree. Every degree offered at ICMS has built-in industry training, meaning students get practical, hands-on experience in their industry of choice, while still a student.

The industry training is organised and individually tailored to each student by the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) team.

However, after completing her industry training, Jasmine was able to transition smoothly into a fulltime role at Tourism Australia as an event coordinator, while still a fulltime student.

“The major factor contributing to my decision to study at ICMS was the crucial hands-on learning through the industry placement portion of the degree. This allowed me to gain real world experience and positioned me ahead of others who may have just studied and not had professional experience before leaving university. This also provided an opportunity for me to be hired before graduating or completing my degree,” Jasmine said.

“I successfully fulfilled my placement hours at Tourism Australia in their Industry Events team. I believe this placement enabled me to demonstrate my value and provided me with the necessary skills to help carry me throughout my career. This will also aid me in optimising all the opportunities that the events industry, worldwide, has to offer.

“My role, when starting at Tourism Australia, was as an Intern. However, after showcasing my skill set, positive attitude, and work ethic to the team I was recognised as an asset and was subsequently offered a permanent position as an Event Coordinator. I am now an official employee at Tourism Australia and proud to say I am the only intern that they have ever hired through this program.”

“I felt supported…”

Jasmine thanked her ICMS mentors, in particular Val McMorran, Manager (Student Success Centre and Student Wellness), and event management lecturer and industry expert Douglas Garske for their role in her student experience.

“I feel that even though I was studying throughout Covid-19, I was supported by two staff members in particular at ICMS. I cannot thank Douglas Garske and Valerie McMorran enough for not only teaching, advising, and mentoring me throughout my journey at ICMS but for the constant wealth of knowledge and care they provided to me beyond the ICMS gates,” Jasmine said.

“Doug not only introduced me to many valuable contacts in the events industry but also provided me with opportunities for networking and to grow my skill-set. Val is an incredible person who was always there for me no matter the time of day, where I was or at any point of my ICMS journey and beyond. She was always the person I would talk to when I was feeling overwhelmed and she reassured me of her belief in my abilities, whilst backing me every step of the way. To these two amazing people I say, ‘thank you’ in helping me to get where I am today.”

ICMS The Professional Mentor

ICMS has built an entire ethos around the professional mentor journey experienced by Jasmine from enrolment to graduation.

Career Placement Mentors work alongside academia as the WIL team (Also known as Career Placement managers or Placement Facilitators). These ICMS Mentors support students in their bid to gain practical skills to bolster what they learn from books, to help them network before they even graduate, and to give them real-world experience.

“Whether I am sharing knowledge on academic skills, advising my PALS (Peer Assisted Learning Service) Mentors on their services to their fellow peers, or confidentially counselling a student seeking mental health support, I pride myself on completely immersing myself in the needs of my students, so that I can constructively guide and support them, to accomplish whatever they set their minds to, either academically or personally,” Val said.

Val runs the Student Success Centre which not only offers students’ Academic Support but also Wellness Support. This is one of the ways that ICMS stands out from the large traditional higher education providers who, due to volume, simply cannot offer this level of connectedness and mentorship.

Doug Garske mentored Jasmine from an industry perspective, using his relevant industry experience – as he is currently working in the event industry – to help Jasmine enter the events industry with passion and enthusiasm.

How is lecturing with a ‘Mentor mindset’ different?

“The ICMS curriculum addresses the core requirements and competencies in the Events Management world. And the lecturers provide the real-world stories and experiences that ground those competencies in the modern Events industry. When I Lecture, I make a big effort to bring real world experience. I do that by having “celebrity guests” address the students. By having Industry Experts talk to the students, they get to talk directly, ask questions, and relate to what it is like in the world,” Doug said.

“From Wedding Planners to Banking Industry, to Music Festivals, to Professional Conference Organisers – by including Industry Experts in lessons the students get to experience the vast range of opportunities. I make it a personal challenge to take students who ‘would like to work in Events’ to being enthusiastic about going into the industry.”

The sky is the limit for Jasmine

Confident that she has chosen the right profession, and already employed in the industry of her choice, Jasmine shared what she loves about her future career.

“The best thing about working in the events industry is being able to see your hard work come together after months of preparation and dedication. It serves not only a purpose for you and your team but brings joy and memorable experiences for both stakeholders and attendees,” Jasmine said.

“In 10 years’ time I see myself continuing my career at Tourism Australia, working my way through to senior leadership roles and always aiming to achieve greatness as part of the Industry Events team.”

For more information on ICMS as The Professional Mentor, click here.

For more information on the ICMS Bachelor of Event Management, click here.